One of the most bothersome questions about life after death involves the inclusion of animals. I know that most Christian and Catholic beliefs state that humans and only humans are granted passage to Heaven, but many people choose to believe otherwise. I mean, if humans have a holy haven of God's green pastures and fluffy clouds, do dogs and cats and hamsters and fish not also have a refuge to go when they perish?
According to a book released by Mary Buddemeyer-Porter, a devout Christian and author of "Will I See Fido In Heaven?", the Christian religion (and God himself) have an intricate design for the afterlife of the animal empire:
"Many Christians do not believe that animals go to Heaven. I have to admit that for more than 40 years, I was one of them. But one day as I was reading the book of Romans, I was amazed at what I read. I called some friends and before long, through various contacts, there was a team of Christians studying the word of God and delving into old Hebrew and Greek word study guides to seek the truth. The results were joyous and shocking. One person, Roger Fritz, delved into every word, phrase, and sentence making sure we stayed focused on the mortality and immortality of both man and animals. In comparing the differences, we discovered God's wondrous design for the earthly and eternal survival of the lives of every living creature and the eternal choice man must make concerning his own destination. It has been a most fascinating journey. We all hope you will have much fun, joy, laughter, and grow in your knowledge, and Godly wisdom..."
So, it seems as though there are some references in the holy scripture that seem to allude to the existence of an afterlife for animals. Of course, this could all be some crackpot hoax to sell a book and the matching audio tape, but tell that to a family who just lost their beloved Fluffy.
Sources used: http://www.creatures.com/Mary.html